I Was a Fool and Wasted All Those Points

“I shouldn’t have wasted those points…”

I sighed heavily while preparing for the first lesson. Usually the priority in the first session was to get comfortable with the student, so I didn’t need to prepare any content, but I still had to do at least a level test.

Especially since they assigned me the social studies subject. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I figured I’d just crank up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the scores with simple memorization, then move on to the other subjects and boost my tutoring fees.

“Haa…”

It was great that I even got a lesson, but the truth was I didn’t need any of that. As I checked my outfit in the mirror, a message popped up right in front of my eyes.

“I can’t believe this!!”

Ever since last night the messages kept popping up, keeping me from sleeping, yet I hadn’t even gotten a reply to the account number and greeting text. It was clearly a bug from the information lookup privilege. Or maybe the whole thing was just a fishing scam.

If it were a game, it would be the classic strategy of burning all the earned points and forcing a pay-to-win purchase. The problem was that I’d accidentally dropped all five hundred points on it.

“.. Well, at least I can’t buy condoms or pills here.”

Still, if I could sell some of the weird stuff from this mysterious shop on the black market, I might actually make real money out of it?

“Sigh, it’s all pointless thinking. I should just focus on earning money.”

I got on the bus and headed toward the address I’d received. With every stop the bus made, the scenery changed. From the campus area where I lived, we gradually moved into the district full of towering high-rises.

“Lucky the salary’s good.”

If they’d mentioned that, I probably wouldn’t have even bothered to come.

I opened the app again and checked the shop tab, hoping there was some other explanation for the information lookup privilege. But the app was still refusing to give me any info.

“Damn it.”

A casual curse slipped out. I quickly looked around, but luckily no one was paying attention to me.

The bus stopped at the stop in front of the apartment complex that looked like a palace. I stepped off slowly, and the buildings that rose impossibly high in the sky literally towered over me.

“Wow.”

Of course a madam living in a place like this wouldn’t even consider meeting me just because I got a good job.

Still thinking that as I pressed the intercom and rode the elevator to the top floor. Standing in front of the door, I took a deep breath to clear my mind.

“Okay, time to work.”

*Ding dong.*

I heard the doorbell from inside the room, followed by approaching footsteps.

*Creak.*

“Welcome, teacher.”

“Hello, ma’am.”

It seemed the nicknames we’d settled on had stuck.

“Come inside. Daughter~ Teacher’s here.”

Han Su-ah led the way down the long hallway. After passing a fairly long corridor, I first saw a huge aquarium, then a wide living room came into view. I wondered if that living room was actually bigger than the two rooms I rented.

Right in the center was a fluffy white carpet, and on the opposite side a large, comfortable sofa was already placed. The TV facing it was the biggest and thinnest one I’d ever seen.

“Mmm.. Teacher?”

A woman in light clothing appeared from the far end of the opposite hallway, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a white sleeveless camisole and dolphin shorts—clearly her daughter Ye-rin. She looked a lot like her mother in every way.

“Hey! Teacher’s here and you’re dressed like that?!”

“Mmm.. huh?!”

Still half-asleep, her face turned red the moment she realized I was there.

“S-sorry!”

She hurriedly covered her chest with one arm that couldn’t quite hide everything and darted back into the room, then came out wearing a cardigan. Just like her mother.

“Sorry, teacher. My daughter’s still young.”

Han Su-ah placed a hand modestly over her chest and bowed her head. Unlike any outfit I’d seen before, she was wearing a full-length dress that covered every inch of her body—no exposure at all. It wrapped around her neck like a polo and had long sleeves all the way to her wrists, yet because of her explosive figure it still looked incredibly sensual.

“No, it’s fine.”

The thought made me feel even more guilty.

“Then let’s start the lesson, ma’am.”

***

“.. Then for today, that’s all. Any questions?”

Surprisingly, the first lesson went smoothly. Despite the low rank I’d been told, she had a surprisingly sharp mind, so the explanations were short and her attitude was good.

The only issue was that her face stayed a little red, but that was probably because of the light clothing I’d seen earlier.

“I-I have a question.”

Ye-rin opened her mouth, trying to steady her voice with her blushing face.

“Mhm, what is it?”

“.. Does the teacher have a girlfriend?”

Of course. The universal question the moment a boy or girl gets comfortable with a tutor.

“No, I don’t.”

“.. For real?”

“For real.”

“Why? Aren’t there any pretty girls at university?”

“Your idea of university is way off. It’s pretty normal people out there… like the ones you usually meet.”

No, that wasn’t exactly right. The mom in question was already unrealistic, so a proper explanation would have sounded weird.

“.. Well, even if not exactly, they’re not that special.”

“Eh, what does that mean?”

Kim Se-hyun clicked his tongue with a sulky expression, then broke into a bashful smile. It seemed he was easy to get along with, and I was glad. When teaching repeat students it was important to get close quickly, and opening up like this made me grateful every single time.

“Okay, no more questions? Let’s wrap it up for today. Make sure you memorize everything I told you to. There’s a test in two days.”

“A test from the very first day?”

“Strictly speaking, the second day.”

***

After the first lesson, a whole week passed. The sounds coming from behind the door grew warmer and warmer, and the distance between Ye-rin and Se-hyun kept shrinking.

After the lesson started, Han Su-ah would always loiter near the door for no good reason.

“..”

When I heard my daughter’s lively laughter from inside, my heart would soften and then suddenly tighten. There was one day when the door was slightly open and I unintentionally caught a glimpse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the two of them.

“...”

On that day, Han Su-ah couldn’t understand why she did it. She changed from her loose pajamas into a clinging one-piece dress, fixed her hair unnecessarily, and even sliced an apple before knocking on the door.

“..!”

The laughter from inside stopped. My mood suddenly lifted.

“Um, teacher. Have some fruit while you study.”

She placed the tray on the desk but deliberately didn’t cover her cleavage. Moreover, the sleeveless one-piece with its exposed collar and collarbones carried her sweet, rich scent straight to me.

“...”

I smiled faintly and left the room. Behind the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠closed door, Han Su-ah pressed a hand to her rapidly beating heart and took deep breaths.

“Haa…”

***

About a month had passed since the lesson started.

“Teacher! Can you end today’s lesson early?”

Ye-rin, who was now much closer than before, shamelessly threw me a tantrum. Just like today.

“Why?”

“Aww, it’s my friend’s birthday today. Can you please end it ten minutes early?”

“You’re a repeat student, what— Sigh, no.”

I was about to scold her, but since her grades had improved a lot and she was keeping up with the lessons, I decided to cut her some slack. She didn’t need to be punished constantly.

“If you keep up with today’s lesson, I’ll do it.”

“Yay! I’ll really study hard!”

“Sigh, fine… Let’s get back to the lesson.”

“Aw, come on~ Teacher, don’t you think I look pretty today? Some of us are going to eat meat, so—”

“You’re going to eat meat dressed like that?”

“Why~ Doesn’t it look good?”

“Ah, no…”

It wasn’t about eating meat; it was clearly a club outfit. Other people might not have the same destructive power, but since she was twenty now, I supposed I could let it go.

The lesson ended without a hitch. Her attitude was good and she only asked for ten minutes early, so it was fine.

“Yay! Thank you so much!”

“Sigh…”

I watched her skip out of the room with a bright smile, then stayed behind to organize the materials. While I was sorting through the test papers, handouts, and printouts, I heard voices from the front door.

“.. Teacher?”

“Ah, yes. Ma’am.”

Oh no, had I been in here too long? I checked my watch in a hurry; it hadn’t even been five minutes since Ye-rin left. Before I could figure out what was going on, the voice came again from outside the door.

“Um.. Are you going to eat dinner and head back?”

At that moment a message appeared for the first time in a month.

.. They were now running quests without even asking for consent.